Feed-cup pressure regulating mechanism for sewing machines



March 28, 1950 H. HAGKLANDER FEED-CUP PRESSURE REGULATING MECHANISM M mv 2 FOR SEWING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed Aug. 26, 1948 Hams Hacklanaler FEED-CUP PRESSURE REGULATING MECHANISM I 4 FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 26, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 28, 1950 H. HACKLANDER 2,502,387

33 i Swyanboz/ 36-4- i 91am Jfwclander ?atented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEED-CUP PRESSURE REGULATING MECH- ANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Hans Hacklander, Linden, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 26, 1948, Serial No. 46,234

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to a sewing machine of the type having feedin wheels or cups for supporting and feeding thework to the stitching mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved means for adjusting the pressure between the two feed-cups, which means is readily accessible to the operator and can be manually operated without tilting the machine or removing any cover-plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cup-feed type of sewing machine with feedcup pressure-adjusting mechanism which is self-locking, whereby any selected pressure between the feed-cups will be maintained.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a sewing machine embodying the invention with a portion of the back Wall partly broken away to expose the components of my improved mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the sewing machine looking from the right side, illustrating the manner in which the outer feed-cup is supported within the overhanging bracket of the machine-frame.

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially along the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially along the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine with the cover-plate removed, showing the belt-drive and the pivotally mounted supporting lever for the outer feed-cup.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the supporting lever for the outer feed-cup.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified means for keying the spring-pressure adjusting disk to thepull-rod.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention is shown as embodied in a cup-feed sewing machine similar to that forming the subject of my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,277,971, issued March 31, 1942. The machine illustrated has a machine-frame including a base-portion or standard it and a laterally projecting overhanging bracket ll. Formed integral with the standard It and disposed beneath the overhanging bracket H is a supporting lug l2 (Fig. 2) sustaining the inner feed-cup it of the feeding mechanism. Cooperatin with the inner feedcup [3 is an outer feed-cup M which depends from the overhanging bracket II, the two feedcups cooperating to support and feed fabric sections past the stitch-forming devices at a uniform rate. Removably secured on the top of the overhanging bracket II is a cover-plate l5 which is fastened by means of a screw it.

The standard H] of the machine-frame is formed adjacent its top with a horizontal partition l! which divides the machine-frame into a splash-lubrication compartment I8 and a beltcompartment 59 in the overhanging bracket II. The splash-lubrication compartment is closed at the bottom by means of a removable plate 20 secured by screws 2| and sealed by a gasket 22.

Disposed in the splash-lubrication compartment I8 transversely of the machine-frame is a rotary main-shaft 23 journaled at opposite ends in bushings 24 and 25 fixed in the side walls of the standard Hi. Mounted on the opposite ends of the main-shaft 23 are the usual balancewheels 26, each having preferably a V-shaped belt-groove 2']. Within the splash lubrication compartment, the main-shaft 23 is provided with suitable cranks and eccentrics for actuating the stitch-forming devices and the feeding mechanism. A complete disclosure of the arrangement of the cranks and eccentrics, together with the actuating mechanisms for the stitch-forming devices and the feeding cups can be had in my previously mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,277,971.

The stitch-forming mechanism of the illustrated machine includes a needle 28 and a loopor 29 (Fig. 2). Co-operating with the needle and looper is a spreader (not shown). The needle 28 is carried in a needle-bar 3Q journaled for endwise reciprocation in spaced bearings 3i and 32 provided in the machine-frame. The looper 29 is carried by a rock-shaft 33 journaled in a bushing 34 penetrating the front wall of the standard EH. Within the splash-lubrication compartment lit, the needle-bar 3i and the looper rock-shaft 33 are adapted to be operatively connected to the main-shaft 23.

As previously mentioned, the work to be stitched is fed past the stitch-forming devices 36 journaled in the frame-lug I2.

l by the two feed-cups l3 and it, both of which are driven by connections operated by the mainshaft 23. The connections used are similar to those fully disclosed in my previously mentioned Patent No. 2,277,971. Included in the feed-cup actuating connections is a vertically disposed feed-actuating shaft 35 connected at its lower end, within the standard It, by gearing (not shown) to the lower end of an inner feed-shaft At its upper end, within the belt-compartment IS, the feedactuating shaft 35 is connected by a clip-belt 31 to the upper end of an outer feed-shaft 38 carrying at its lower end the feed-cup It. The outer feed-shaft 3B is journaled in spaced bearings provided in the opposite ends of a stationary sheath 39 clamped at its upper end by a screw 49 in the split end 4| (Fig. 6) of a pivotally mounted feed-cup supporting element or lever 32. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the supporting lever 42 is mounted on alined fulcrum-studs 43 and 44. Fulcrum-stud 43 is preferably secured in the side wall of the overhanging bracket II and the fulcrum-stud 44 is secured in a bracket 45 fastened by two screws 46 on the bottom wall 4? of the overhanging bracket ll. Two separated fulcrum-studs are used in order to provide clearance for the clip-belt 31.

At the inner end of the feed-cup supporting lever 42 there is formed an oifset lug 43 and at right angles to the main body of the supporting lever 42 a stop-arm 49 adapted to Xtend between two adjustable stop-bars B and 5!, which limit the extent of movement of the outer feed-cup Hi toward and away from the inner feed-cup it. It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the upper stop-bar 5c is threaded upon an adjusting screw 52 and is guided by a second adjusting screw 53, while the lower stop-bar 5| is threaded upon the second adjusting screw 53 and guided by the first adjusting screw 52. By having the upper stop-bar 5i? adjustable, the outer feed-cup M may be initially set at various distances from the inner feed-cup l3 depending upon the thickness of the material being sewn. After the stop-bar 50 has been correctly set, the lower stop-bar 5| can be adjusted to limit movement of the outer feed-cup M in a direction away from the inner feed-cup it. To facilitate assembly, the two adjusting screws 52 and 53 are reduced at their lower ends and set into apertures 56 drilled in the machineirame, the screws 52 and 53 being maintained seated in these apertures 54 by the cover-plate l5 which rests upon flanges 55 formed upon the heads of the adjusting screws 52 and 53.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the offset lug it at the inner end of the feed-cup supporting lever 12 is apertured to loosely receive the upper end of a square pull-rod 53 connected at its lower end, preferably by a chain 5'5, to a knee-control or foot-treadle (not shown). The pull-rod 58 is bodily movable endwise and rotate ably mounted within a verticall disposed tubular housing or sheath 58 which projects downwardly through a hole in the partition l1 and, at its lower end, pressed into an upstanding boss 59 flanged, as at til, for attachment on a raised seat 6! provided on the plate 28. A gasket 62 between the flange 6B and the seat 6i prevents the leakage of oil from the splash-lubrication compartment [3, as does the tubular housing 58.

Means is provided for yieldingly maintaining the outer feed-cup M in work-clamping relation with the inner feed-cup l 3 and it is with this feature that the present invention is primarily con cerned. To this end, there is provided a coilspring es surrounding the upper portion of the pull-rod 56, the upper end of the spring 33 hear ing against the bottom of the oiiset lug 38 on the feed-cup supporting lever t2 and the lower end of the spring bearing on a shouldered insert 54 carried at the top of a tubular spacer member 55 within the housing 58. The bottom or the spacer member E5 slides within the threaded bore it of the boss 59 and bears upon the top of a springpressure adjusting disk (3?. To provide for looking the pressure-adjusting disk E5? in set position there is a second disk 68 separated from the disk 6'17 by a resilient washer 69, preferably made of an oil-resisting material such as neoprene, the resilient washer being under compression so that it exerts a force tending to separate the two disks 67 and 68 and thereby increase the friction between the disks and the threaded bore 66 of the boss 59. Each of the disks 6! and 68 is formed with a centrally disposed aperture H1 shaped to correspond to the external shape of the pull-rod, but sized to permit free endwise sliding movement of the pull-rod relative to the disks 8'1 and 68.

As previously described, the upper end of the pull-rod 56 is loosely embraced by the apertured oiiset lug 48 of the feed-cup supporting lever 42, and to prevent rattling of the pull-rod against the oilset lug there is provided a light compression spring H (Fig. 1) bearing at one end on the top of the offset lug 48 and at its other end against a nut '52 threaded on the upper end of the pull-rod 55. A spacing sleeve 13 surrounds the compression spring II to minimize the lost motion between the nut 12 and the offset lug 18 when the pull-rod 56 is actuated to separate the two feed-cups l3 and I4.

When it is required to regulate the pressure between the two feed-cups l3 and I4, it is necessary merely to insert a screw-driver through a clearance-opening 14 in the cover-plate It into the slot l5 provided in the upper end of the pullrod 56 and turn the pull-rod. Turning of the pull-rod will cause the two disks Bl and 63 to travel as one up or down in the threaded bore of the boss 59 and in so doing will compress or release the spring 63. It will be appreciated that the square shape of the pull-rod and the corresponding square holes in the two disks 6? and 68 effectively key the disks to the pull-rod 56 so that turning of the rod will screw the disks up or down in the boss 59. While I have shown the pull-rod as having a square shape, it will be appreciated that the pull-rod can have any shape except round and will be efiective in turning the disks as long as the hole in the disks are complemental to the external configuration of the pull-rod. It will be appreciated that the self-locking feature of the present invention is attained by virtue of the resilient washer 69 being under compression. The extent of compression of the washer 89 is controlled by withdrawing the pull-rod 55 and turning one of the disks 61, $8 relative to the other disk.

Fig. '7 illustrates a modification of the means employed for keying the spring-pressure adjusting disks 6? and 68 to the pull-rod 56. In the modification shown, it will be seen that the pullrod 55 is round in cross-section and that it is provided with a transverse slot '15 preferably opening into its lower end. Projecting through the slot 15 is a diameter-bar 16 provided on the disk 61, the diameter-bar preferably being in the form of av pin pressed into alined holes drilled through the walls of the disk. It is obvious that with this construction the disks El and 86 are free to move lengthwise of the pull-rod 56 when the latter is turned about its longitudinal axis.

It will be understood that when a machine is equipped with the present invention the pressure between the feed-cups can be readily adjusted by merely turning the pull-rod 56 in the proper direction. The pull-rod is conveniently accessible to the operator through the clearance opening l5. in the cover-plate 5. The se1f-locking feature of the present invention is not only efficient, but functions. automatically without any attention whatever from the operator after the proper initial compression of the resilient washer 69 is obtained.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention,,what I claim herein is:

l. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including a bodily movable rotatably supported member accessible to the operator for regulating the pressure exerted by said spring.

2. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including an endvvise movable pull-rod supported for turning movement about its longitudinal axis, whereby manual turning of the pull-rod will regulate the pressure exerted by said spring.

3. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including a bodily movable rotatably supported member for effecting a relative movement between the feed-cups and for regulating the pressure exerted by said spring, and locking means for preventing accidental rotation of said member.

l. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-for ing devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including a bodily movable rotatably supported member accessible to the operator, and spring-engaging means operatively associated with said movable element for regulating the pressure exerted by the spring when said member is rotated.

5. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including a bodily movable rotatably supported member accessible to the operator, and spring-engaging means including a threadedly supported element connected to said bodily movable member so that turning of said member will shift said element and thereby change the pressure exerted by said spring.

6. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said manually controlled connections including an endwise movable pull-rod supported for turning movement about its longitudinal axis, spring-engaging means including a pair of disks threadedly supported in said frame and operatively associated with said pull-rod so that turning of the pull-mod will cause said disk to shift in a direction to compress or release said spring, and a resilient Washer compressed between said disks.

7. A sewing machine having a frame, stitchforming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material to said stitch-forming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feedcups, a spring for biasing said movable el ment in one direction, and manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action, of said spring, said manually controlled connections including an endwise movable rotatably supported pull-rod having an outof-round cross-section, and spring engaging means including a disk threadedly supported in said frame and apertured to conform to the external shape of said pull-rod. whereby said pullrod can slide through said disk and said disk will be turned in said frame to compress or release said spring when the pull-rod is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

8. A sewing machine having a frame provided with an apertured internally threaded boss, stitch-forming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material past said stitchforming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feed-cups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, manually con trolled connections for shifting said movable elemerit against the action of said spring, said connections including an endwise movable rotatably supported pull-rod having at least a portion thereof substantially square in cross-section, and spring-pressure regulating means including a pair of disks threaded into said boss and having in-line square apertures'through which projects the square portion of said pull-rod, and dish separating resilient means interposed between said disks to frictionally lock them against accidental turning relative to said boss.

9. A sewing machine having a frame provided with an apertured internally threaded boss, stitch-forming devices, opposed feed-cups for supporting and feeding material past said stitchforming devices, a movable element supporting one of said feedcups, a spring for biasing said movable element in one direction, manually controlled connections for shifting said movable element against the action of said spring, said connections including an endwise movable rotatably supported pull-rod having a transverse slot formed in a portion thereof, and spring-pressure regulating means including a disk threaded into said boss and apertured to receive the pull-rod, and a diameter-bar provided on said disk and extending through the slot in said pull-rod, whereby rotation of said pull-rod will effect a shift of said disk relative to said boss.

HANS HACKLANDER.

No references cited. 

